I
guess you're right I do have another problem, though. Earlier you said Jesus was
born of a virgin. That seems silly to me.
The idea of a virgin birth wasn't easy for people in Jesus' day to swallow,
either. When God communicated to Mary that she was to bear a Son‑Jesus‑she
responded, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34). Mary wasn't any
more ready to accept the idea than you are. But Mary believed miracles were
possible. Once acknowledge God exists, and there's no way to ensure that they
can't right?
Right.
That's just the attitude the Bible takes. It says that with God all things are
possible (Luke 18:27). So the messenger from God explained to Mary, "The Holy
Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God ... For
nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1: 35,37).
Okay, so the virgin
birth was possible because of a miracle by God. But it seems silly to me. Why
would God have done that?
In the Old Testament God revealed to the Jews that they should sacrifice
physically spotless lambs to symbolize the sacrifice of the Savior God had
promised. Only perfection would be acceptable to God as a sacrifice, and so the
Savior who died for our sins had to be perfect. The Bible teaches that man's
sinfulness is in part passed on through natural birth, particularly through men,
not through women (Romans 5:12‑17). When the sperm of a man and the egg of woman
combine, that natural sinfulness of mankind is ingrained in the offspring. But
the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). For this
reason He could not have been conceived by male sperm, since natural conception
like that passes on the sinful nature. It was necessary, then, if the Savior
were to be truly human, that He be born; but it was also necessary that He be
born unnaturally, without the man's sperm. Hence the virgin birth.
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I
guess I can believe in the virgin birth, if I decide to become a Christian. But
what about those who never hear of Christianity? Will God reject them just
because they've never heard?
Why do you ask?
Because if Christianity
teaches that God automatically rejects all who haven't heard of Jesus, then I
don't think it's worth believing.
Why wouldn't you think it's worth believing? Would that contradict the
historical and rational evidence we've already seen for the truth of it?
No, I guess not.
Then why do you ask?
I guess because I don't
think I could worship a God who would be so unfair as to condemn people just
because they never heard of Jesus.
Good. It's important to recognize that this question doesn't have anything to do
with whether Christianity is true, but only with whether you are willing to
acknowledge its truth and worship and love God.
Your question does indicate something very good: you care about people other
than yourself And God looks favorably on that. Its called love.
Now, God loves people, too. The Bible says God is "patient toward you, not
wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). So
you see, God wants just as much as you do for people to be restored to
friendship with Him.
I have to be frank with you. The Bible isn't crystal clear on this issue. Down
through history many Christians have given the answer I'm going to give, and I
think it's a good one. But I wouldn't be honest if I said it were absolutely
clear in the Bible that this is the answer to your question.
Apparently it depends largely on the attitude of the individual. If someone
wants to know God but Is not able to hear the good news about Jesus Christ, I
think God still makes provision for him in some way, though I'm not sure just
how.
Jesus hints at this when He says, "If any man is willing to do His will, he
shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from
Myself'” (John 7:17). The
real question Is whether someone is willing to know and do God's will.
God's judgment is always righteous, fair, and just (Acts 17:31). He would never
condemn anyone unjustly. If it were unjust to condemn someone simply because he
had not heard of Jesus, I am sure God would not do that.
The Bible teaches that many things may be known about God, ourselves, and sin
without ever hearing of Jesus. It tells us that man naturally knows of God's
existence, power, and righteousness (Romans 1:19,20). It explains that this
knowledge comes through looking at the world God created and realizing that only
an omnipotent and righteous God could have made it.
It also teaches the basic requirements of God's righteousness are known
naturally by all men in what it calls the conscience (Romans 2: 14,15). This
means everyone who sins is without excuse: he cannot claim not to have known it
was wrong.
The Bible also teaches that Jesus died not only for the sins of those who would
hear about Him, but also for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16; 1 John
2:2). Jesus' death was as much a substitute for the punishment of people who
have not heard of Him as for the punishment of those who have.
The Bible tells us that those who repent of their sins‑who are sorry for them
and who promise God to do their best to change‑and who trust In Jesus have
applied to themselves the righteousness of Jesus. I think It may well be that
when those who have not heard of Jesus recognize their sinfulness and repent,
God applies to them the righteousness of Jesus just as he does to those who have
heard of Jesus and who explicitly trust Him.
It Is also possible that when someone truly wants to know and follow God and His
will, God may miraculously provide for him to hear about Jesus. Luke tells us of
a man named Cornelius. He had never heard of Jesus, but he had asked God to
reveal Himself to him and show him whatever was necessary for him to be
reconciled to God. God answered Cornelius's prayer and sent the Apostle Peter to
give him the good news about Jesus. When Peter told him that news, Cornelius
trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord (Acts 10). Who knows? Perhaps that is just
what is happening with you now! God might be answering your heartfelt desire to
do what is right and to please Him, by having given you this opportunity to hear
about Jesus!
However God might work it out, I do believe the Bible reveals that whoever
earnestly, sincerely desires to know God will find God ready and able to do
whatever is necessary to bring him whatever knowledge is necessary for him to
know God and be saved from sin. I don't believe God would ever send someone to
hell simply because of the person's ignorance.
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